The Dr. A Lakshmipathi Research Centre for Ayurveda (Dr.ALRCA), the clinical research unit for ayurveda under Central Council for Research In Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS) at Tamil Nadu, is seeking legal opinion against the Voluntary Health Services (VHS), an NGO, for forceful demolition of its drug store.

A higher official from Dr.ALRCA alleges that the VHS has demolished its drug store, as part of forcing the centre to vacate its office space. According to a complaint filed by the centre at the nearby police station, the centre and organization were moving under an MoU mentioning that the Dr. ALRCA have to shift its existing office from the 1st floor of the VHS building to the 2nd floor of the same building. The complaint adds that the VHS has forcefully destroyed the walls of centre's drug store, while the shifting process was en route.

While demolishing the wall of central drug store, the VHS has ruptured the drug stocks, worth around Rs 1 lakh, alleged Dr. Acharya M Venugopal, Assistant Director, CCRAS, who is in charge of Dr.ALRCA. He said that though the centre has constituted a three-member committee to enquire about the cost of damage, the committee couldn't enter into the store, as it was closed by the VHS.

He said that the centre's plans to commence a panchakarma unit in the premises was also choked while the organization backed out from its promise offering three additional rooms in the ground floor according to the MoU. He added that the VHS has also reversed from its commitment to bear the shifting expenses of the office, which was agreed earlier according to the MoU.

Dr.ALRCA commenced its organization in the VHS building in 1971, with the funding offered by an NGO, Ayruveda Arogya Ashram, with the help of Dr. Sanjivi, the founder of VHS. The centre was housed in the premises according to a MoU furnished between the two organisations, informed Acharya.

"We were ready to shift the office, though they have offered eight rooms instead of our existing 11 rooms. But the VHS authority was trying to threaten us and to forcefully throw us out," Acharya told Pharmabiz. He said that the centre has received consent from the headquarters to seek legal opinion on the encroachment and is planning to take the matter legally.

Meanwhile, the sources from VHS commented that the matter is strictly administrative and as the centre is carrying the matters with consent from its higher authorities, the organization is not interested to comment on the issue at present. N S Murali, Secretary, VHS told Pharmabiz that the organization has allowed the office to function in their premises without charging any rent and the centre has been established at the VHS building purely because of the interest of the organization. He said that there is no room for such a dispute in the present situation.